Automatic steam regulator for gas producers



(N0 Model.)

1ARUUD. l AUTOMATIC STEAM REGULATOR FOR GAS PRODUCERS.

WITNESSES:

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDVIN RUUD, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGN OR TO THE FUEL GAS ANDMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLAGE.

AUTOMATIC STEAM-REGULATOR FOR GAS-PRODUCERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 482,320, datedSeptember 6, 1892.

Application filed August 29, 1891. Serial No. 404,109. (N0 model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN RUUD, a citizen of the United States, residingat Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsyl- Vania,have invented or discovered a certain new and u seful Improvement inAutomatic Steam-Regulators for Gas-Producers, of which improvement thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of gasgenerating apparatus ordinarilytermed producers, in which the generation of gas containing a greater orless percentage of hydrogen is effected by the passage of blasts of airand steam through a body of ignited carbo- "naceous material in afurnace-chamber or producer. v The normal and successful operation of agas-producer, as well as the composition of the gas generated and itseffective utilization as fuel, depends largely upon the admiXture inproper proportions of the air and steam delivered to the producer; andthe object of my invention is to automatically regulate the quantity ofsteam passed into the producer proportionately to that of the air-blast,so that when the apparatus is adjusted for operation with any determinedcharge a limited variation of the air-blast shall be accompanied by acorresponding variation of the steam-blast in order to maintain apractically uniform percentage of hydrogen in the evolved gas.`

To this end my invention, generally stated, consists in the combinationof an air and a steam blast pipe, valves controlling the passage offluid through said pipes, a shaft by which said valves are coupled andcaused to move coincidently in opening and closure, and acounter-balance coupled to said shaft and acting thereon in oppositedirection to the opening movement of the valves.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth. A

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view, partly insection, ofan apparatus embodying my invention; and Figs. 2 and 3,vertical sections at the lines :l: and y y, respectively, of Fig. l.

In the practice of my invention I interpose between two sections of andat any convenient point in the length of the air-blast pipe l, leadingto a gas-producer, a valve case or chamber 2, having formed upon it aface or seat 3, which surrounds the opening of the adjacent connectedsection of the air-blast pipe, and upon which an air-regulating valve 4,which controls the passage of fluid through said pipe, is adapted toclose. The valve 4 is lixed upon the free end of an arm 5, the oppositeend of which is secured upon a shaft 6, journaled in bearings in theshell of the valve-chamber 2 and projecting outwardly through the same.The shaft 6 is extended, preferably, as shown, by anadjustably-connected supplemental section 6a into a valvechamber 9,which is interposed between and connected to two sections l0 and l0 ofthe steam-blast pipe, the supply-section l0 leading'from the generatorto the valve-case, and the delivery-section 10a leading from thevalve-case to the producer. A steam-regulat- 7o ing valve ll, fixed uponthe shaft-section 6a, is fitted to move circumferentially in unison withsaid shaft-section in the valve-chamber 9 and to control the passage ofsteam from the section l0 of the steam-blast pipe through thevalve-chamber to the section l0rt and producer. The valve ll is in theform of a cylindrical shell, which is open at its end adjoining thesupply-steam-pipe section l0, and should be provided with one or moreopenings in its opposite end to maintain it in proper longitudinalbalance. Ports l2 are formed in the shell of the valve ll, said portsbeing adapted in the traverse of the valve about its axial line toregister with ports 13, formed in the shell of the valve chamber 9 andleading to the delivery-pipe section l0, the passage of steam from thesupply to the delivery sections being regulated or Wholly cut off, asthe' case may be, by the greater or less degree of opening of the ports12 to the ports 13 or the total closure of the ports 12 by being broughtopposite to closed portions of the shell of the valve-chamber. Abalance-arm i4 is fixed upon the shaft 6 exterior to the valve-chamber2, said arm projecting from the shaft in opposite direction to the arm5, to which the regulating-valve 4 is secured, and having its outer endcoupled to a suitable counter-balance, in this instance an adjustableweight l5, the gravity of which acts against the incoming pressure ofair on the valve 4 and the IOO gravity of said valve and tends to closethe same, such closure being effected to a greater or less degreecoincidentally with corresponding reduction of air-blast pressure. Aspring acting by its tension correspondingly to the gravity of theweight may, if desired, be substituted as a mechanical equivalent of thelatter.

The supplemental shaft-section 6 is fitted freely in a longitudinalcentral bore in the main section 6, so as to be movable and adj ust-ableendwise therein, and is secured in adjusted position by a set-screw 7.Such capacityof longitudinal adjustment is provided in order to vary thedegree of steam admission relatively to that of air admission for adetermined valve traverse, so that the relative proportions of theformer and the latter may be regulated as desired by causing a greateror less length of the valve-ports 12 to register with the valve-chamberports 13 by the movement of the supplemental shaft-section 6 andconnected valve 11 toward or from, respectively, the adjoining mainshaft-section 6.

The proportionate opening of the steamports is indicated by an index 8,secured to the shaft-section 6a and projecting through a longitudinalslot in the shaft-section 6, a series of graduations being marked on thelatter adjacent to the slot.

In operation the pressure of the air-blastin the pipe l overcomes theresistance of the weight or spring connected to the arm l5 of the shaft6 and opens the air-regulating valve 4, coincidentally rocking theshaft-section 6 in its bearings and with it the connected snpplementalsection 6a and steam-regulating valve 1l. The movement of the valve llcoincidently opens a passage for steam to the producer, the degree ofopening being by the connection of the two valves increased ordiminished coincidently with and proportionately to variations in thedegree of opening of the valve 4, the quantity of steam admitted to theproducer thus bearing a constant determined ratio to the quantity ofair.

I am aware that means for proportionately varying the supply of twodierent fluids, as valves controlling gas and steam pipes or gas and airpipes, respectively, and coupled one to the other by intermediate leverconnections, so as to coincidently and proportionately regulate thesupply of the respective fluids, were known in the art prior to myinvention, and such constructions, broadly, I therefore distinctlydisclaim.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. Thecombination of an air-blast pipe, a steam-blast pipe, valve-chambersinterposed between sections of each of said pipes, a regulating-valvecontrolling the air-blast pipe, a shaft journaled in bearings andconnected to said valve, a regulating-valve connected to said shaft andfitted to move circumferentially within the valve-chamber of thesteamblast pipe and having ports adapted to register with ports formedtherein, and a counterbalance connected to the valve-shaft and actingthereon in opposite direction to the opening movement of the valves,substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of Aan air-blast pipe, a steam-blast pipe,valve-chambers interposed between sections of each of said pipes,aregulating-valve controlling the air-blast pipe, a shaft journaled inbearings and connected to said valve, a regulating-valve constructed tomove longitudinally and circu mferentially within the valve-chamber ofthe steam-blast pipe and having ports adapted to register with portsformed therein, a shaft secured to said valve and connected adj ust-ablyto the shaft of the regulating-valve, and a counterbalance coupled tothe'valve-connecting shaf ts and acting thereon in opposite direction tothe opening movement of the valves, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

EDWIN RUUD.

Witnesses:

J. SNOWDEN BELL, R. H. WHITTLESEY.

